Free flow hot metal ladle



Feb. 8, 1944.- McFEATERS I 2,341,054

FREE FLOW HOT METAL LADLE Fi led Dec. 24, 1942 3 Sheet s-S heet 1 INVENTOR 21% Feb. 8, 1944. H. MCFWE S 2,341,054

' FREE FLOW HOT METAL LADLE Fil ed Dec. 24, 1942 s Sheets- Sheet 2 Feb. 8, 1944. H. L. MQFEATERSV 2,341,054

FREE FLOW HOT METAL LADLE Filed Dec. 24, 1942 a Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented F ch. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREE FLGW HOT METAL LADLE Harry L. McFeaters, New Castle, Pa., assignor to Pennsylvania Engineering Works, a corpora-' tion of Pennsylvania Application December 24, 1942, Serial No. 470,049

' 3 Claims.

This invention relates to free flow hot metal ladies used on transfer cars for carrying molten metal from a blast furnace to a hot metal mixer, pig casting machine or the like.

Hot metal ladies of various constructions and designs for use in the make-up of transfer cars have been suggested and many are disclosed in prior art patents, and an object of this invention is to produce an improved free flowing hot metal ladle.

Another object is to produce an improved free flow hot metal ladle having. a closure for the major portion of the top thereof which conserves heat and provides effective and improved pouring characteristics.

Another object is to produce a shell for a free flow ladle which can be produced from flat metal plate material joined together by weld metal into a rugged structure having flanged and dished heads with built-up pads and supporting trunnions carried by such heads.

A further object is to produce a high capacity free flow hot metal ladle having top walls and a cover that close the major part of the top of the ladle and which, with oppositely positioned side portions having pouring openings in the tops thereof, facilitate pouring and reduce the tendency to skull.

A further object is to produce a design of shell for a free flow hot metal ladle which lends itself to relatively cheap manufacture from plate metal by simple bending, dishing, fianging and welding operations.

These and other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in this particular art, I attain by means of the structure described in the specification, illustrated in the drawings and set forth in the accompanying claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a hot metal ladle embodying this invention in its preferred form, that is, having a barrel-shaped central portion;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the ladle of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of said ladle;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the ladle of this invention having a cylindrical or modified central portion; 1

Figs, 5 and 6 are respectively top plan and elevational views or one form of cover which may be employed for closing a substantial part of the receiving opening; and

Figs. '7 and 8 are views similar to Figs. 5 and 6 of another form of such cover.

The ladle of this invention comprises a main or central portion (numbered 5 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and 5a in Fig. 4) which is circular in transverse section throughout its major part, end or head portions 6 which are flanged and dished are attached to the central portion preferably by weld metal, as at i. Built up pads are secured to and carried by head portions 6, and these as an entirety are numbered 8'. Supporting trunnions 9, iii and H are carried by said pads and head portions. The top portion of the ladle as an entirety is numbered l2. This is supported by and secured to the main or central portion and projects above the top of the ladle.

The major part of main or central portion in the preferred form disclosed in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive is barrel-shaped or in other words, bulges outward laterally'from its ends toward its center, while in the form disclosed in Fig. 4, the major part of the central portion is of uniform diameter from end to end and istherefore cylindrical.

Each end or head portion 6 is formed from plate-like metal and as shown in the drawings, is outwardly dished, and, except for its flanged end, is of. spherical section. The flanged end is of the same diameter as the ends of the central or main portion 5 and is joined to the adjacent end of the main portion by a line of weld metal I.

Pads 8 are preferably formed up from steel plate of suitable thickness welded together and to the adjacent end or head portions 5, as for example at It and I4. Trunnions 9, H3 and H pass through openings in the vertically extending portionsof said pads and through openings formed for their reception in heads 6. The trunnions are secured in position within both the pad and head openings by suitable weld metal.

Top portion I2 is provided with hot metal receiving openin it. This extendsfrom side to side of the top, is widest at its center and gradually decreases in width from its center to its ends as shown in Fig. 1. Opening R5 at its ends terminates in opposed pouring openingssuch as it and each such opening is lined with refractory material I1 which forms a short trough extending inwardly to the inner face of the adjacent portion of the refractory lining l8. Lining i8 is indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, execept Where it projects beyond bar-like members 89 along the sides of opening lfi'where it is shown in full lines.

The refractory lining because of the contour of the shell may be primarily made up of standard form blocks or bricks, but, of course, if desired, the lining may be made of molded refractory material.

Refractory material H which forms the lining for the spouts, and the lining which underlies the side edges of opening it is held in position by bar-like members Iii-49.

The central or main portion in both forms is provided with oppositely positioned lugs 29 .to which a crane hook can be attached for tilting the ladle toward each side about trunnions ii! and I l, as the case may be.

Top portion l2 between lines 2i2! on each side of bar-like members |9-|9 comprises a plate member 22 formed as a cylindrical section and this slopes from the top of bar-like members I9 to the top of the central portion of the shell and is connected to the shell and said bar-like member by suitable metal welds. A plate-like member 23 bent into the form of a conical section, is trimmed at its top center so as to embrace the lower portion of a channel-shaped support 24, for refractory material II which lines the spouts, and to which channel-shaped member it is connected by weld metal. Each member 23 extends throughout the full width of the central or main portion above the metal line. At its vertical center line, member 23 extends vertically from the center of the main or central portion of the ladle to the pouring opening. Along its center line member 23 is substantially perpendicular, tilting in but slightly from the center of the ladle to the pouring opening. Each member 23, on account of being formed as a conical section, has its lower edge so trimmed that it fits the inwardly curving surface of the main or central section above the longitudinal center of the ladle. That portion of the main or central portion 5, which would be covered by member 23, is cut away so that member 23 with its refractory lining forms the pouring spout. This spout extends throughout the full width of the central portion and forms a pouring spout which extends down to the longitudinal center line of the ladle.

The space between top edges 26-26 of each conical member 23 andthe adjacent edge 2| of sloping cylindrical sections 22 is closed by a plate- 5 like filler piece 2'! which is welded in place. The conical members 23, together with filler pieces 21 and the refractory linings for members 23 and such filler pieces form the bottoms of the opposed pouring spouts.

It will be seen from the drawings that each pouring spout, which terminates in a channelshaped opening, extends the full width of the ladle between the end or head portions, and extends from such opening to the longitudinal center line of the ladle and gives to the ladle its free flow characteristics,

In certain cases, it is desirable to cover a major part of opening IS with a removable bolted on or hinged cover for the purpose of increasing the conservation of heat of the molten metal Within the container.

In Figures 5 and 6, a cover 28 is removably secured in place by bolts 29 which pass through openings formed for their reception in ears 33 of such cover. The cover which overlies a major part of the wide central section of opening |5 is preferably removed before the ladle is filled with molten metal and secured in place after such filling.

In Figures 7 and 8, a cover 3| of the same size and general design as cover 28 is shown. In this example, the cover is hinged to top |2 of the ladle by means of a hinge connection comprising a hinge pin 32 which passes through openings in ears 33 of the cover and brackets 34 secured to top portion l2 of the ladle. The hinged cover is held in closed position by what may be termed a wing nut 35 which is threaded to a bolt 36. This bolt is pivotally mounted between a pair of spaced ears 31 secured to top portion |2 of the ladle. This construction permits bolt 33 to be swung toward and from cover 3|, and the cover in line with bolt 36 is provided with an ear 38 which is slotted to receive said bolt.

Covers 28, and 3| are preferably slightly domed, are provided with flanged sides and ends as indicated by dotted lines and are preferably lined with suitable refractory material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hot metal ladle, a main body portion of circular cross section at its ends, end portions each having a flanged end which is welded to the adjacent end of the main body portion and each having the remainder thereof outwardly dished and of spherical section, side pouring spouts each having its lower part formed as a conical section, which, above the metal line of the ladle extends throughout the full length of the main bodyportion and which from the longitudinal center line of the adjacent side of the ladle extends substantially vertically at its center to a point above such metal line, a ladle top having a charging opening therein which extends from side to side of the ladle and terminates in opposed pouring openings, and plate-like members located above the top of the main body portion and closing the top of the ladle on each side of the charging openmg.

2. In a hot metal ladle, a main body portion of circular cross section at its ends, flanged and dished end portions welded to the main body portion, side pouring spouts each having its lower part formed as a conical section, which, above the metal line of the ladle extends throughout the full length of the main body portion and which, from the longitudinal center line of the adjacent side of the ladle extends substantially vertically at its center to a point above the metal line, a ladle top having a charging opening therein which extends from side to side of the ladle and terminates in opposed pouring openings, platelike members of cylindrical section located above the main body portion on opposite sides of such charging opening and each being tilted downwardly from the charging opening to the top of the main body portion, and plate-like filler pieces between the top of the conical spout portions and the ends of such downwardly tilted cylindrical sections.

3. In a hot metal ladle, a main body portion of circular cross section throughout its major part, dished and flanged end portions which, throughout their major part are of spherical section, side pouring spouts each having its lower or floor portion formed as a conical section, which, above the metal line of the ladle extends throughout the full length of the main body portion and which from the longitudinal center line of the adjacent side of the ladle extends substantially vertically at its center to a point above such metal line, a ladle top which projects above the top of the main body portion and is provided with a charging opening which extends from side to side of the ladle and terminates in opposed pouring openings; said top on opposite sides of the charging opening comprising plate-like members of cylindrical section tilted downwardly from the charging opening to thetop of the main body portion, and plate-like filler pieces between the top of each conical spout portion and the ends of such downwardly tilted cylindrical sections.

HARRY L. MCFEATERS. 

